If there was going to be one team to give Craig Kimbrel a chance to close, it was going to be the Philadelphia Phillies.
After all, Dave Dombrowski had brought Kimbrel to the Red Sox during the 2015-16 offseason in a trade with the Padres. He is now with the Phillies and the Phillies do need a closer. Kimbrel had been a free agent and looking for an opportunity.
Philadelphia Phillies find their closer in Craig Kimbrel
What appeared to be a perfect match happened on Friday night. According to Jeff Passan, the Phillies signed Kimbrel to a one year deal worth $10 million to presumably take over the ninth inning.
It is fair to wonder how much of an upgrade Kimbrel is going to be. He had an inconsistent 2022 campaign, posting a 3.75 ERA and a 1.317 WHiP over his 60 innings, striking out 72 batters with 28 walks. Those inconsistencies led to Kimbrel losing the closer role with the Dodgers and being left off of their roster for the NLDS.
The Phillies also had a potential option for the ninth inning already on the roster. Seranthony Dominguez has closed before, leading the Phillies in saves as a rookie in 2018 and had notched nine more saves in 2022. It was possible that he could step into that role once again in the upcoming season.
Instead, the Phillies are looking at Kimbrel to take on that role. His stature as an Officially Proven Closer will give him that opportunity first, with Dominguez waiting in the wings should he falter. Considering Kimbrel’s recent history, that would not be a surprise.
The Philadelphia Phillies are giving Craig Kimbrel a chance to close once again. The ninth inning appears to be his for 2023.